Role of maternal behavior on aggression, fear and anxiety
2002; Elsevier BV; Volume: 77; Issue: 2-3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/s0031-9384(02)00845-4
ISSN1873-507X
AutoresAnnabel Ferreira, Mariana Pereira, Daniella Agrati, Natalia Uriarte, Alonso Fernández‐Guasti,
Tópico(s)Tryptophan and brain disorders
ResumoConcomitant to the expression of maternal behavior, the lactating female develops anxiolysis in the elevated plus maze test, aggression towards intruders and reduced fear in response to a sudden auditory stimulus. This study aims to determine if these behavioral changes are associated with maternal behavior independently of the endocrine status that characterizes gestation, parturition and lactation. To assess this purpose, the behavior of lactating females was compared to that exhibited by maternal and nonmaternal ovariectomized rats untreated with steroid hormones. In contrast with lactating dams, sensitized animals (rats that displayed maternal behavior after a continuous contact with young pups) did not display reduced anxiety in the plus maze test. However, the sensitized females showed behaviors characteristic of lactating rats, such as some components of maternal aggression and reduced fear, though much less intensely than dams. These results suggest that aggression and reduced fear, but not anxiolysis, partially depend on the development of maternal behavior.
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